XYZ Printing launched a new printer using the fused filament fabrication (FFF) process. The company produces cost-effective Maker-level printers that are known for being user-friendly. They seemed great for the hobbyist, and I always thought of the company as that—hobbyist level. So what could offering another printer do that the previous nine couldn’t?
The new da Vinci Color would change how I thought about XYZ Printing. This new printer is like the company’s previous products—it’s good, user-friendly, and cost-effective ($3,500), but this printer pulls XYZ Printing into an industrial level.
This new printer has a flexible printing surface that covers the bed. This allows for quick removal to continue printing, and the flexible surface makes it easy to remove parts. This reduces any prying on the bed that will help keep the bed from going off-level. If the bed is ever not level, the da Vinci Color has a self-leveling bed. Oh right, and it also has color! This doesn’t change filaments, but offers an inkjet printer that sits in front of the filament nozzle. These inks are proprietary, and similar to the inks used to make credit cards so they won’t wear off.
While color is great for artists and animators, I see this as a great way to offer indicators, guides, instructions, safety guidelines, and wear marker to parts. With resolution from 100 to 400 microns, a gear could be printed so as the tooth surface wears another color will show. Once the color is visible a technician could scan a code that is printed right on the part and order another one. The color prints at 600 dots per inch that opens up many new creative capabilities for many industries.
XYZ Printing’s Associate Manager Frank Peng says the company is going to continue raising the bar as it moves into more industrial products. With the company’s background, previous products, and connection to Kinpo, I think XYZ Printing is going to be a contender in the industrial 3D printing market, and da Vinci Color is just the start.
